Improved Rootstock Selection Tool

Josh McGill Citrus, Citrus Greening

Florida Citrus Rootstock Selection Guide: New Custom Query Option The third edition of the Florida Citrus Rootstock Selection Guide was recently released online at flrootstockselectionguide.org and has now been expanded to include an expert system to aid growers in rootstock selection. The expert system was developed as a collaborative effort of Steve Rogers, Bill Castle, Steve Futch and Andrew Persaud. …

Veteran Biologist Named Director

Kelsey Fry Citrus

Veteran Biologist Named Director of UF/IFAS Entomology Lab By Brad Buck GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Just as the Zika virus is causing concern worldwide, a University of Florida insect specialist with 36 years of experience at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory has been named the lab’s new director. Professor Jorge Rey started at FMEL, part of the UF Institute of Food …

Discussing Genetic Engineering With a Concerned Public

Josh McGill Citrus

By: Kevin Folta Our farm producers have brought unprecedented low-priced, safe food to the United States and the world. Despite the success, there are challenges to sustained production that may best be solved with genetic engineering. These technologies have proven safe and effective for almost two decades, mostly in the arena of high-acreage agronomic crops like corn, soy and cotton. …

Plant Pathologist Joins UF/IFAS

Josh McGill Citrus

Plant pathologist joins UF/IFAS to help solve citrus industry issues By: Robin Koestoyo FORT PIERCE, Fla. – A plant pathologist with 12 years of experience in plant-microbe interactions has joined the faculty of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) to help citrus growers. Following an international search for a …

What to Consider When Putting a New Grove in Place

Josh McGill Citrus, Water

By: Mongi Zekri There is a high degree of planning and preparation that goes into making a new citrus tree planting successful. Site preparation, installation of an irrigation system, selection of varieties and rootstocks, tree spacing, purchasing trees from reputable nurseries, and tree planting and care are all important. Site Preparation The planting site should be well prepared. Soils at …

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees

Josh McGill Citrus

Citrus Industry Legends Inducted into Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Friday, March 11, was the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Celebration Luncheon, where a crowd of over 400 citrus community and industry members welcomed three new inductees into the Hall of Fame. The inductees are Dr. William S. “Bill” Castle of Lake Alfred, John C. “Jack” Norris of Palm City, …

bactericides survey

Update on the 2016-17 Citrus Appropriations and Legislation

Josh McGill Citrus

[nextpage title=”Update on Citrus Appropriations…”] Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual (FCM), distributed the following update on Florida citrus appropriations and legislation: Dear FCM Board and Members: I have some very positive news to share. The items/proposals/appropriations I’ve highlighted below have been approved by the Legislature and Governor Scott. This news came about quickly after our e-mail …

Citrus Crop Forecast Increases

Kelsey Fry Citrus

Mark Hudson, of the National Agricultural Statistics Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA/NASS) in Washington, D.C., issued the March citrus crop forecast. Although there was no increase in the non-Valencia oranges for this month, an increase was reported for the Valencias. There also was a slight increase for white grapefruit. Florida crop forecast: Download Audio Full crop forecast: …

Legislative Progress for Florida Citrus Growers

Kelsey Fry Citrus

In a message below, Mike Sparks, executive vice president/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual, reports positive news on the current status of the citrus industry’s agenda items in the legislative session. Dear FCM Board and Members: It’s been a whirlwind 2016 in Tallahassee and with a week left in the scheduled legislative session, I have some very positive news to share. …

Slight Changes in USDA’s Florida Citrus Crop Forecast

Kelsey Fry Citrus

The only changes made in today’s U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast were in Florida. Red grapefruit decreased 3 percent, going from 8.5 million boxes to 8.2 million boxes. The projection for honey tangerines increased from 600,000 boxes to 700,000 boxes, bringing the overall Florida tangerine total to 1.5 million boxes. Download Audio February USDA Citrus Crop Forecast …

EPA Releases Preliminary Risk Assessment

expoadmin Citrus

EPA Releases Preliminary Risk Assessment for Insecticides Potentially Harmful to Bees From the Environmental Protection Agency: WASHINGTON– The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a preliminary pollinator risk assessment for the neonicotinoid insecticide, imidacloprid, which shows a threat to somepollinators. EPA’s assessment, prepared in collaboration with California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation, indicates that imidacloprid potentially poses risk to hives when …

fungus

USDA Grant To Attack Citrus Greening

expoadmin Citrus, Citrus Greening

Researchers share $4 million USDA grant to attack citrus greening From UF/IFAS: By: Kimberly Moore Wilmoth and Kathleen Haughney GAINESVILLE, Fla. — International researchers, including ones at the University of Florida and Florida State University, are sharing in a $4 million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture to attack the problem of citrus greening, a disease that has …